Robert Martin Adam (born 13 September 1955) is the director of theSquare Kilometer Array (SKA)radio-telescope in South Africa.^[3] He used to be the chief-executive officer of theSouth African Nuclear Energy Corporation (NECSA).^[4][5] and Director General of the South AfricanDepartment of Science and Technology. He has worked as a consultant to the governments ofNamibia andChile, and is a Fellow of theRoyal Society of South Africa.^[2]

Adam's father, James, was ametallurgist, and he grew up in mining towns. He finished school atBishops, a private school inCape Town.^[6]

Adam obtained a BSc (Hons) degree with distinction inchemistry and the Percy Gordon Memorial Award for the top honours student from theUniversity of Cape Town in 1978. In 1980, after two years working incarbon fibre technology in England, he returned to South Africa and was employed by theSouth African Council for Higher Education. His task was to develop distance learning courses in physical science and mathematics in English for people whose first language was not English.^[2]

In 1981, Adam was imprisoned for 10 years for activities on behalf of theAfrican National Congress (ANC). While serving his sentence, he obtained BSc (Hons) and MSc degrees in theoretical physics, both with distinction, through theUniversity of South Africa (UNISA). He received the UNISA national scholarship awarded to the top masters student at that university, to do a PhD in theoreticalnuclear physics. He was released from prison in 1990 and shortly thereafter received his PhD degree from UNISA. After a short period of working with Professor Harry Fiedeldy, his PhD supervisor, he was awarded a post-doctoral fellowship by theVrije Universiteit (Amsterdam). He returned in 1993 to take up a post in the Department of Physics at theUniversity of Natal.^[2]

In 1979, while in London after his initial studies, Adam became a member of theAfrican National Congress (ANC), then banned by theApartheid regime.^[7][8] After joining the ANC he returned to the country: "What the ANC did for me was give me a way to go home again, in a way that I found acceptable."^[6]

On 22 September 1981 Adam and Mandla Elliot Themba ofSoweto, a fellow ANC member, was arrested because of their ANC membership and involvement in underground work for the organisation. During the trial they were represented by the legendary human rights advocate,George Bizos, who also representedNelson Mandela and many other political activists. Adam's father testified in mitigation of sentence that Adam had become aware of the evils of the compound system while the family lived on a mine inNamibia, and that "his strong sense of concern and compassion led him to his ANC commitment."^[7] On 1 June 1982 Adam was sentenced to an effective 10 years imprisonment, and Themba to five years.

TheMail & Guardian summarises Adam's experience in prison as follows:^[6]

"eight months in solitary confinement, where you grow to miss your interrogators because at least they provide some stimulation; a year with the criminals, who found him somewhat of a novelty; some time getting to know the Italians of a right-wing fascist movement, also incarcerated; and, finally, the years with a small group of political, with whom he spun plans of how they would run the country when they came to power – including what kind of science and technology sector South Africa would have."

While inPretoria Central Prison, Adam studied further and later obtained his doctoral degree in theoretical nuclear physics.^[9] Adam was released on 9 February 1990, together with many other political prisoners as part of the steps towards a democratic South Africa.^[10]

In 1995 Adam was appointed as a chief director in the formerDepartment of Art, Culture, Science and Technology (DACST). In 1996 he was promoted to the post of Deputy Director-General for science and technology.^[11]

In 1999 Adam became the Director General of DACST, under MinisterBen Ngubane.^[11] In 2002 this department was split into two, theDepartment of Art and Culture and theDepartment of Science and Technology (DST). He continued as the Director General of DST,^[12] in the latter period under MinisterMosibudi Mangena. He held this position until 2006, when he took up the position of the CEO of theNuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa.^[13]

While in government Adam was responsible for driving activities such as the drafting of the Green and White Papers on science and technology; thePosition Paper on the Information Society; and various statutes including the National Research Foundation Act, the National Advisory Council on Innovation Act, the Legal Deposit and the National Libraries Act and several international technical co-operation frameworks. He managed theResearch and Technology Audit;Research and Technology Foresight project; reviews of 12 science, engineering and technology institutions; the restructuring of museums and cultural institutions; the distribution of budgets to science councils; an investigation into South Africa's science journals; and science and technology agreements with more than 22 countries.^[2]

Adam worked towards South Africa being awarded the contract to build and run theSquare Kilometer Array (SKA) Telescope.^[14] South Africa was recently awarded the lion's share of this project in competition with Australia. SKA is aradio telescope and must be based in an area where there is very little man made radio interference. The site chosen in South Africa is in theKaroo, north-west ofCarnarvon.

Adam was appointed CEO of theSouth African Nuclear Energy Corporation (NECSA) in 2006. It has its premises atPelindaba outsidePretoria and is established by legislation to be South Africa's main research and development organisation in the field of nuclear technology, as well as carrying out other functions on nuclear issues on behalf of the South African government. It operates theSafari Research Reactor.^[4]

From 2012 to 2014 he was Group Executive: Nuclear at the Aveng Group.^[15]

Adam was appointed as director designate from 1 April to 31 December 2015, and after that as director for a period of five years of the SKA South Africa, replacingBernie Fanaroff at the end of 2015.^[3]

Adam was married to Liz Gavin and has two children. He is a grand nephew of SirJames Rose-Innes,^[9] the second Chief Justice of theUnion of South Africa.^[16]

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• South African prisoners and detainees
• Nuclear energy in South Africa
• South African people of British descent
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• 1955 births
• White South African anti-apartheid activists
• South African anti-apartheid activists

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